Human Rights and Humanitarianism in Contemporary Conflict

The "Human Rights and Humanitarianism in Contemporary Conflict" series will showcase global practitioners who address the complexities and challenges of upholding human rights and enforcing international law during conflicts. 

Upcoming Events

Post-War Journalism: Telling Stories After the Guns Fall Silent
Anne Poiret, Journalist and Documentary Filmmaker

April 22, 2025, 5:45-7:00 p.m., Diana 504
Open to BC/CU ID holders. Register at this link.

\What happens when the war is "over"? Emmy Award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Anne Poiret explores the critical but often overlooked phase that follows armed conflicts: the after. Drawing on over a decade of field reporting from Iraq, South Sudan, and beyond, she examines how journalists can—and must—document post-war realities: the search for the missing, reconstruction efforts, transitional justice, and the long road to memory and healing.

This presentation will also introduce AFTER WAR, a multimedia initiative that aims to break down indifference towards these post-conflict periods, as well as foster greater collaboration with journalists and fixers in affected countries, and researchers specializing in these issues.

Moderated by Séverine Autesserre, Political Science. 

Co-sponsored by the Alliance Program, the Columbia Journalism School, and the Saltzman Institute of War & Peace Studies.

Past Events

Climate Change, Race, and Migration
Carmen Gonzalez, Loyola University Chicago School of Law

March 5, 2025, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Current gaps in international law prevent climate-displaced persons—who are projected to exceed 1 billion by 2050—from gaining legal status when crossing international borders, leaving them vulnerable to detention, criminalization, and deportation. Carmen Gonzalez, Morris I. Leibman Professor of Law at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, will discuss the effects of these legal gaps.

Moderated by J.C. Salyer, Human Rights Program. 

Education Under Occupation in Ukraine
Rachel Denber, Human Rights Watch

March 31, 2025, 5:30-7:00 p.m, Milstein 912
Open to BC/CU ID holders. Register at this link.

Rachel Denber of Human Rights Watch will discuss research documenting how Russia has imposed its education system on approximately one million Ukrainian children in territories it occupies, where it also prohibits Ukrainian online education, practices that violate international law. Finally, she will address how these policies might impact the future of Ukrainian statehood, citizenship and national identity as Russia and the new US administration advance a conflict resolution process that will likely seek to recognize Russian annexation and territorial gains.

Moderated by Alex Cooley, Political Science and Harriman 4+1 Coordinator.